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A maritime and logistics firm, STARZS Investment Company Ltd., has disclosed plans to expand its fleet and operations across Africa, with renewed investment momentum in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector and rising offshore opportunities.
Iroghama Ogbeifun, Chief Executive Officer of the company, spoke on the sidelines of the just concluded ninth Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) 2026 in Abuja
Ogbeifun, also a founding member, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Governing Board and Chairperson, Technical Committee, Shipowners Association of Nigeria, said that plans were also on to deepen engagements with indigenous producers.
She said that among the indigenous producers to be engaged are Seplat, First E&P, among others.
STARZS Investment Company Ltd. is among the 30 privately licensed maritime security firms with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Navy.
It currently operates a fleet of 11 vessels, including Anchor-handling Tug Supply (AHTS) vessels and security patrol boats.
“We are investing in fleet renewal in response to ageing assets and growing offshore demand, and we have plans of acquiring a new DP2 AHTS tugboat, with a shipbuilding contract expected to be signed this year.
“STARZS provides armed personnel on patrol boats for major International Oil Companies (IOCs) like TotalEnergies, Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Renaissance.
“STARZS is not stopping at Nigeria’s borders. It is also exploring African ports for tug services beyond Nigeria,”Ogbeifun said.
She emphasised a “Pan-African” strategy, targeting oil exploration hotspots like Namibia, Mozambique, Guinea, and Congo, where offshore support vessels are also in demand.
According to her, oil vessels are required anywhere oil exploration is taking place offshore.
She said their expansion plan was fueled by strategic partnerships, including one with Kotug, a global tug giant based in Dubai and Rotterdam.
“We had access to their large fleets through outright purchase or bareboat charters.”
She attributed the move to positive signals from IOCs, the TotalEnergies recent announcement of Final Investment Decisions (FIDs) via Kotug, and Shell willingness to invest 20 billion dollars in Nigeria over the next few years.
“These developments signal strong oil and gas projects, creating opportunities from the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) phase onward,” she said.
Speaking on the long-awaited Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF), the CEO welcomed the recent inauguration of the application portal, describing it as a major milestone for indigenous shipping development.
The CVFF was established under the 2003 Cabotage Act to promote Nigerian-built, manned, owned, and flagged vessels through a two per cent surcharge on cabotage activities.
It will be recalled that the Federal Government inaugurated the CVFF application portal two weeks ago after years of delays.
According to her, the fund’s single-digit interest rate and eight-year tenure would significantly support fleet expansion once disbursements commence.
She equally highlighted persistent challenges in maritime training, particularly the difficulty cadets face in obtaining mandatory sea-time required for certification.
Ogbeifun, however, called for mandatory cadet training quotas onboard vessels and stronger collaboration between regulators and operators to address the gap.
By Emmanuella Anokam
